The Story Behind The Bramble

Made to be drunk over the course of a long afternoon, the Bramble is an adaptable cocktail that changes as the day crawls by — its ice slowly melting and its flavors shifting in sweetness and potency.

The Bramble was invented by iconic British bartender Dick Bradsell at London’s Fred’s Club in 1984. Bradsell intended for the drink to be a quintessentially British cocktail, evoking the fresh blackberries he used to enjoy on the Isle of Wight off England’s southern coast. Though Bradsell was known for being extremely thorough about his mixology, he said the original Bramble was made with crushed ice “because that is what the machine made.”

One of the best things about the Bramble is that it is easily riff-able — so much so that it has inspired an entire sub-genre of craft cocktails. Its foolproof equation of gin, crushed ice, citrus juice, and a sweet floater drizzled on top has inspired countless variations — with some of our favorites upping the proof, adding in tart tropical fruits, or focusing on citrus. The Bramble is no shrinking violet. It’s bold, refreshing, and currently one of the most popular cocktails on the planet. Take a look at the full list and see what other drinks made the cut.

Ingredients

2 ounces gin
1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce crème de mûre
Garnish: lemon wheel, blackberries

Directions

Add gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a shaker with ice and shake until cold.
Strain into a rocks glass with crushed ice.
Add more crushed ice, then drizzle the crème de mûre over the top.
Garnish with lemon wheel and a few skewered blackberries.